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Ian Garry wants to prove a point against Islam Makhachev. 

Garry is scheduled to challenge Makhachev for the welterweight title in the main event at UFC 330 on Aug. 15 at the Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia. Garry believes his rangy movement will pose Makhachev problems that he has never faced before. While Garry went to wrestling camp in Georgia, Makhachev recently said that wrestling cannot be learned in a few months. However, Garry hopes that Makhachev takes him down so that he can prove a point. The Irishman vows to defeat Makhachev in wrestling, which is the Dagestani champion’s bread and butter.

‘I’m Going to Bounce Him on His Skull’ “He’s never fought someone as long and tall as me,” Garry said on Instagram. “He’s not fought someone as fast as me. He’s never fought someone that has the distance management, the boxing capability, the head movement that I do. And also takedown defense. He might get me down, I hope he does. Because I want to prove to the wor…

Sharabutdin Magomedov wants his fans to wonder if he could dethrone Sean Strickland. 

Magomedov (16-1) is scheduled to fight Michel Pereira (32-14) at UFC Baku on June 27 at the National Gymnastics Arena in Baku, Azerbaijan. Pereira’s training partner, Strickland, was recently seen helping by trying to imitate Magomedov’s flashy style in sparring. 

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While Magomedov thinks it was somewhat of an imitation, he doesn’t think Strickland came very close. Magomedov calls Strickland an “interesting” fighter, whose title win over Khamzat Chimaev came as a surprise to “Shara Bullet.”‘A Pale Imitation’ “I don’t think he can do it like me,” Magomedov told Red Corner MMA. “But it was kind of an imitation. A pale imitation, though. It would be very different in an actual fight… Sean Strickland is actually a very interesting fighter. I always get surprised when fighters like him become champions. But he is a hard worker, a native talent. I just want to ask …

Michael Chandler’s UFC career is undoubtedly at a crossroads after his latest loss. 

Former UFC welterweight Matt Brown recently slammed Chandler’s lackluster run in the promotion. Chandler suffered a lopsided first-round knockout loss against Mauricio Ruffy at UFC White House. Despite being 2-6 in the UFC, Chandler has never fought on a Fight Night outside of a numbered UFC card. 

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Brown believes Chandler’s stardom is undeserved based on his UFC career. Brown believes Dana White should cut Chandler from the roster or politely ask him to hang up his gloves. According to Brown, Chandler should try fighting in smaller promotions if he wants to continue competing. However, Brown believes Chandler clearly has no place in the UFC.A Better Fit Elsewhere “With Michael Chandler, just his whole UFC run hasn’t been anything to note… He shouldn’t be the star that he is in the UFC,” Chandler told MMAFighting.com. “How are you 2-6 and you’re as big of a…

Pedro Rizzo has some thoughts about Alex Pereira’s unsuccessful heavyweight debut.

Considered one of the most agressive strikers in UFC heavyweight history, Rizzo spoke with Sherdog.com about the co-main event of UFC White House, when Pereira was knocked out by Ciryl Gane in the second round.

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Rizzo revealed that he tabbed “Poatan” as favorite before the fight. In his opinion, the weight gain weight was not the problem for Brazilian.

“The primary issue, in my opinion, was the loss of reach advantage,” Rizzo said. “Alex is too tall for middleweights and light heavyweights, and he lost that advantage at heavyweight.”

The finishing sequence made Rizzo recall another famous heavyweight fight.

“Whenever I see a southpaw knocking down a right hander with a counter jab, it reminds me of Fedor [Emelianenko’s] fight with Matt Mitrione, which, by the way, was a very similar move to this one with ‘Poatan’ and in exactly the same circumstances: The right…

Alexander Volkanovski is not ruling out a double-champ bid for the third time in his UFC career.

Justin Gaethje (28-5) recently dethroned Ilia Topuria in a massive upset to win the undisputed lightweight in his third attempt. Volkanovski (28-4) admits that he is open to moving up to lightweight to challenge Gaethje for the title. However, the UFC featherweight champion is not sure if he is currently in a position to call for a lightweight title shot. Volkanovski notes that he had defended the featherweight title four times in his first stint before calling for a lightweight title shot against Islam Makhachev. Volkanovski also admits that Arman Tsarukyan should ideally get the next title shot at lightweight. However, “The Great” also notes that Tsarukyan has not exactly been a company man.

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‘I’m Not Going to Call for It’ “Of course, I'll do it,” Volkanovski said on YouTube. “I'm going to call it when I I feel like I deserve it, and you've seen when I w…

Sharabutdin Magomedov believes Michel Pereira is a “hypocrite.” 

Magomedov is scheduled to fight Pereira in a middleweight tilt at UFC Baku on Saturday at the National Gymnastics Arena in Baku, Azerbaijan. Magomedov recently went off on Pereira for supporting Israel. Pereira walked out with the Israeli flag for his first-round knockout win over Andre Petroski in 2023. 

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“Shara Bullet” condemns Pereira’s support of Israel in the ongoing crisis with Palestine. Magomedov also notes that Pereira rescued dogs from a flood in Brazil soon after showing his support for Israel. Magomedov believes Pereira was only pulling off a publicity stunt by rescuing dogs in Brazil. Magomedov also jokes that “Demolidor” was missed during the floods in Dagestan this past April.‘Farming Likes on Instagram’ “In my eyes, he's a hypocrite,” Magomedov told Red Corner MMA. “To raise the flag of Israel after the fight [the state] that, in front of billions of people, comm…

Islam Makhachev once used a one-liner to invite Daniel Cormier’s kids to Dagestan, and the rest is history. 

Makhachev’s advice to Cormier for his kids was “send 2-3 years Dagestan and forget.” The phrase has since become a part of sporting folklore, transcending the world of MMA. Makhachev recently revealed that almost every athlete he meets from any sport reminds him of his famous one-liner. Makhachev claims tennis icon Novak Djokovic once told him that his phrase is used in the 2026 Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain’s locker room. Makhachev also recalls former boxing heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua seeking his approval to print T-shirts saying “2-3 years Dagestan.”

A Lasting Impact “Whoever I meet, any athlete, any level,” Makhachev told Adam Zubayraev. “..I met Djokovic, Djokovic told me that in the PSG locker room they say, ‘Hey, send him to Dagestan for 2-3 years.’ I’m not really sure how it spreads. Joshua, the boxer, comes up to me and says, ‘I…

This past week, Alex Pereira made it clear that he was not happy with what transpired in the UFC White House co-main event.

“Poatan” came up short in his bid to become a three-division champion when he suffered a second-round technical knockout loss to Ciryl Gane on June 14 in Washington, D.C. After the event, Pereira expressed his frustration that veteran official Herb Dean failed to acknowledge that illegal strikes that Gane landed to the back of the Brazilian’s head during the finishing sequence.

White discussed the situation during the UFC Fight Night 279 post-fight press conference on Saturday. While the UFC CEO didn’t necessarily fault Dean, he recognized Pereira’s anger as legitimate.

"If you watch the fight it's undeniable that he got hit with some strikes to the back of the head, but in the middle of the action, when it's going on and guys are rolling around trying to get out of it," White said (transcription via MMAjunkie.com) "Sometimes the fouls h…

Justin Gaethje doesn't think Ilia Topuria will ever be the same after their UFC White House fight. | Getty/UFC

Justin Gaethje doesn’t sound like he’s ready to call it a career.

But when he is ready to return to the Octagon, it likely won’t be against Ilia Topuria — at least not until “El Matador” picks up another victory.

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“Right now I’m planning on [continuing],” Gaethje said recently on ”The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast podcast. “There’s not something natural in me that feels like it’s over. I can’t say that I have a name. [Ilia] doesn’t get a rematch. He can try but he doesn’t get one. He quit on the stool, I stopped him twice, what else do I have to f—ing do?

“His next challenge can’t be me. He needs to fight Paddy [Pimblett] or someone like that.”

Gaethje entered UFC White House as a significant underdog against Topuria, the undisputed lightweight champion. While Topuria enjoyed a strong second round, the rest of the bout …

Kyoji Horiguchi's title hopes took a hit on Saturday. | Getty/UFC

Kyoji Horiguchi’s hopes at making a late career run at UFC flyweight gold hit a serious speed bump on Saturday night.

The American Top Team product suffered a third-round technical knockout loss to Manel Kape in the UFC Fight Night 279 headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday night. Things were going well for Horiguchi in the first two frames before Kape flashed his formidable power during the decisive sequence 2:42 into the third stanza.

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The Dream Doesn't Die Horiguchi, who defeated Kape in Rizin Fighting Federation in 2017, initially challenged for the UFC flyweight title in April 2015, when he suffered a fifth-round submission loss to Demetrious Johnson. The 35-year-old reflected on the loss in a brief statement on social media.

“Thank you all for your support,” Horiguchi wrote on X (via Translate). “I got spectacularly knocked out. I’m truly sorry. Kape …

Umar Nurmagomedov is excited for a potential fight against Yadong Song. 

Nurmagomedov was originally scheduled to fight David Martinez at UFC Abu Dhabi on July 25. However, the booking has fallen off as Martinez is forced out with an injury. Nurmagomedov has been rumored to face Song at a later date. 

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Nurmagomedov recently admitted that he is interested in the matchup against Song because he considers the Chinese fighter to be a “punching bag.” Nurmagomedov was not impressed by the one-sided beatdown that Song suffered against Sean O’Malley earlier this year. Nurmagomedov doesn’t rank Song among the best fighters in the division.Not in the Same League “Of course, I’m interested,” Nurmagomedov told told Adam Zubayraev. “ [Song] is a punching bag. How did he do against O’Malley? He was dead by the third round. Fourth round, he was taking knees to the face (Song vs. O’Malley was three rounds)…I don’t consider him a top-class fighter, honestly.…

Islam Makhachev believes teammate Usman Nurmagomedov will have to compromise on his salary if he moves to the UFC from the Professional Fighters League. 

Nurmagomedov (20-1) is considered one of the best lightweights in the world, regardless of promotion. Nurmagomedov’s current PFL contract will expire after he puts his lightweight title on the line against Archie Colgan at PFL New York on July 31 at the UBS Arena in Long Island, New York. 

There has been speculation about Nurmagomedov potentially signing with the UFC after his current PFL contract expires. Makhachev (28-1) believes Nurmagomedov needs to move to the UFC to fully realize his potential against a higher caliber of opponents. However, Makhachev claims that Nurmagomedov is getting a hefty payday in the PFL, which the UFC is unlikely to pay. According to Makhachev, Nurmagomedov still has ample time to sign another PFL contract and move to the UFC later in his career to build his legacy. The UFC …

Murtazali Magomedov had help from a UFC veteran for his spectacular debut on Saturday. 

Magomedov (11-0) made his promotional debut against Melsik Baghdasaryan (8-4) at UFC Fight Night 279 on Saturday at the Apex in Las Vegas. While Baghdasaryan landed some powerful strikes early, Magomedov took him down quickly and started looking for a rear-naked choke. As Baghdasaryan tried to turn into Magomedov, the Kyrgyz prospect locked in a modified twister to secure a submission win at 1:17 of the opening round. Magomedov scored the fourth twister submission in UFC history in his debut in the promotion. 

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Magomedov subsequently said that he had been specifically training the twister in the gym for a long time. The undefeated featherweight prospect further revealed that he learned the move from former UFC flyweight, Askar Askarov.

“I work this technique long time,” Magomedov said. “My brother, Askar Askarov teach me this technique.” 

Making…

Vinicius Oliveira wants a ranked opponent next after his successful debut at featherweight. 

Oliveira (24-4) made his featherweight debut against Andre Fili (25-14) at UFC Fight Night 279 on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Oliveira survived some heavy kicks to the body from Fili in the first round. However, “LokDog” hurt Fili with a 1-2 before unleashing a brutal barrage of shots to secure a stoppage win late in the second round. 

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Eager to Climb Oliveira subsequently called for a matchup against Josh Emmett, who is No. 15 in the official UFC featherweight rankings. However, the Brazilian would ideally prefer a higher-ranked opponent as he himself was ranked higher at bantamweight.

“If the UFC want to give me Josh Emmett, Top 15, I’ll be ready to fight with him,” Oliveira said in a post-fight interview with the UFC. “But I hope the UFC give me a Top 12 opponent, but I don’t know who. In my former division, bantamweight, I was Top 1…

Navajo Stirling had to face adversity like never before against Ion Cutelaba. 

Stirling arguably faced his biggest step up in competition against Cutelaba at UFC Fight Night 279 on Saturday in Las Vegas. Cutelaba caught Stirling in a standing guillotine early on, eventually dragging him to the ground. While Cutelaba’s guillotine seemed seriously threatening at one point, Stirling managed to pull his head out. Both fighters were going back and forth in the second round before Stirling reversed a takedown and unleashed lethal ground-and-pound on a seated Cutelaba to secure a stoppage win. 

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Stirling subsequently revealed that he had never faced adversity like he did when Cutelaba jumped the guillotine. The undefeated Kiwi believes the experience of surviving that adversity will add to his mental arsenal. However, Stirling notes that while he faced such a threat in a fight for the first time, he regularly drills being in stressful positions at …

Christian Rodriguez’s late coach, Duke Roufus, taught him the move that helped him finish Hyder Amil. 

Rodriguez (13-4) took on Amil (11-3) in a featherweight matchup at UFC Fight Night 279 on Saturday in Las Vegas. “CeeRod” dropped Amil with a flush shin-to-chin head kick in the opening round. While Amil miraculously remained conscious, Rodriguez immediately choked him out cold with a guillotine. 

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Rodriguez revealed that the head kick was always a staple move while training under his late coach.

“My coach who passed away in October, his name was Duke Roufus, he was a kickboxing legend,” Rodriguez said in a post-fight interview with the UFC. “He was known for head kicks… When people kind of start defending like a boxer, the head kick will always be there. And it worked out perfectly. It’s something that he passed on to me, and I still have that knowledge. So, that’s something we capitalized on.”

Feeling Rejuventated Rodriguez’s win ov…

Beatriz Mesquita wants to bring the iconic Brazil-Argentina rivalry to the Octagon. 

Mesquita (8-0) took on Melissa Mullins (7-3) in a women’s bantamweight matchup at UFC Fight Night 279 on Saturday in Las Vegas. Mullins rocked Mesquita in the opening round and surprisingly chose to take the fight to the canvas. As Mullins postured up to drop an elbow, “Bia” locked up an armbar to earn a quick tap. 

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Mesquita subsequently aimed high with a callout of Ailin Perez. Explaining her callout, Mesquita said that he wants to jump up the UFC.com rankings, where Perez is currently at No. 5. The undefeated Brazilian also said that she doesn’t like the attitude of Perez, who is known for celebrating her wins by twerking. Mesquita further believes that it’ll be an interesting matchup against the Argentinian to translate the age old Brazil-Argentina soccer rivalry into the Octagon.‘I Don’t Like Her Attitude’ “Honestly, I want to end up in the Top 10, Top …

Herb Dean is again involved in a controversy regarding illegal shots. 

Dean was the third man in the Octagon when Andre Fili (25-14) welcomed Vinicius Oliveira (24-4) to the featherweight division at UFC Fight Night 279 on Saturday in Las Vegas. Oliveira managed to survive the first round despite being visibly hurt by body kicks from Fili. “LokDog” went all guns blazing late in the second round after stunning Fili. Oliveira rained a vicious barrage of shots on Fili, forcing Dean to step in just before the bell in the second round. 

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Uh oh… Herb Dean has another fight where the fighter was hitting the back of the head and then he stopped it… Fili bleeding like hell on the back of his head! #UFCVegas119 pic.twitter.com/QwrV0YUpc5

— John (@MrJohnnytokes) June 21, 2026 Controversy Strikes Again However, some of the shots landed by Oliveira in the finishing sequence appeared to be on the back of the head, which is …

Manel Kape took home an extra $100K on Saturday night. | Getty/UFC Manel Kape has his revenge, and he’s also $100,000 richer for his efforts.

“Starboy” secured a $100,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus for his third-round stoppage of Kyoji Horiguchi in the UFC Vegas 119 headliner on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Kape put his foe on wobbly legs with a counter right, then unleashed a barrage on his grounded adversary — including a vicious uppercut from behind — that brought a halt tot he contest 2:42 into Round 3. Kape avenged a 2017 submission loss to Horiguchi that occurred under the Rizin banner.

An Impressive Debut Elsewhere, promotional newcomer Murtazali Magomedov earned a $100,000 “Performance of the Night” check after making short work of Melsik Baghdasaryan in a featured featherweight affair. Magomedov elicited a tapout 1:17 into the opening stanza with a twister, only the fourth such submission in UFC history.

Finally, Vinicius Oliveira and …

Dricus Du Plessis will return at UFC Oklahoma City. | Getty/UFC

Oklahoma City is getting a marquee middleweight matchup.

Dricus Du Plessis will square off against Kamaru Usman in a matchup of former title holders in the UFC Oklahoma City headliner, the Las Vegas-based promotion announced on Saturday. The event, also known as UFC Fight Night 281, takes place at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and airs in its entirety on Paramount+.

High Stakes Affair Du Plessis hasn’t competed since last August, when he relinquished the middleweight crown in a lopsided unanimous decision loss to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319. Prior to that, the South African standout was 9-0 in the Octagon, earning notable victories against the likes of Sean Strickland (twice), Israel Adesanya, Robert Whittaker, Derek Brunson and Darren Till.

Usman is back in action for the first time since he outpointed Joaquin Buckley in the UFC on ESPN 69 headliner last June. While there were…

Manel Kape marked his territory as the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s number one contender in waiting at 125 pounds.

The Xtreme Couture rep punched out Kyoji Horiguchi in the third round of their UFC Fight Night 279 headliner on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Kape (23-7, 8-3 UFC) slammed the door 2:42 into Round 3, avenging his Dec. 31, 2017 submission defeat to the former Rizin Fighting Federation and Bellator MMA champion.

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Horiguchi (36-7, 9-2 UFC) stayed a step ahead of “Starboy” from a tactical standpoint through much of the first 10 minutes. In fact, he secured a takedown and spent almost the entire second round grinding away on Kape from top position. However, Horiguchi’s inability to inflict any real damage proved costly. Kape clipped him with a right hook midway through Round 3, pushed him to all fours and snuck a devastating uppercut underneath the armpit that prompted the stoppage.

Meanwhile, surging City Kickboxing prospect N…

Sherdog's live UFC Vegas 119 coverage will begin Saturday at 5 p.m. ET. The event is also known as UFC Fight Night 279. BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Collins (-160); Tanzilovi (+140)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:

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Round 2 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round: The Official Result BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Rosa (-115); Santos (+100)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round…

Beatriz Mesquita’s otherworldly ground skills were there when she needed them most.

The undefeated American Top Team star remained unbeaten and continued her climb in the Ultimate Fighting Championship women’s bantamweight division, as she disposed of Melissa Mullins with an armbar in the first round of a featured UFC Fight Night 279 prelim on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Mesquita (8-0, 3-0 UFC) drew the curtain 3:16 into Round 1.

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Mullins (7-3, 2-3 UFC) nearly sprang the upset. She dazed Mesquita with a left hook, then closed in on the 10-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion with follow-up punches. Putting the icing on the cake proved problematic. The resourceful Mesquita lured her opponent into her venomous guard, cleared the cobwebs and snatched the armbar. Mullins fought briefly to free herself but had no choice but to tap.

Meanwhile, ex-Inka Fighting Championship titleholder Kevin Borjas outstruck the heavily favored and previous…

Jan Blachowicz and Bogdan Guskov fought to a majority draw in their first meeting. | Getty/UFC

Jan Blachowicz and Bogdan Guskov have a little bit of unfinished business to handle.

The light heavyweights will square off in a rematch at UFC Belgrade on Aug. 1, the promotion recently announced. Blachowicz and Guskov initially battled to a majority draw at UFC 325 this past December. A rematch was slated for UFC 328 on May 9, but Blachowicz was forced to withdraw from the bout due to injury.

UFC Belgrade — also known as UFC Fight Night 283 — takes place at Belgrade Arena in Belgrade, Serbia, and is headlined by a welterweight showdown pitting Uros Medic against Daniel Rodriguez. The card will air in its entirety on Paramount+.

A Difficult Road A former light heavyweight champion, Blachowicz is just 1-3-2 in his last six Octagon appearances dating back to October 2021. However, the 43-year-old Pole has squared off against only the division’s best during tha…